Union urges use of Rainy day fund

The union representing state employees is countering a proposal to furlough state employees to save money. NAPE/AFSME Executive Director Julie Dake Abel tells us that such a proposal should be a last resort. Instead, she recommends,among other things, looking at the state’s rainy day fund.

“There is a lot of money in that rainy day fund that certainly could be tapped into now as things are certainly raining for the state. A couple of other things is there are different agencies that could be combined. They Have overall administrative costs, meaning administration, some of the upper lever management”

As lawmakers prepare for an expected special session to cut the budget some appropriatons committee members have proposed furloughing some state employees to save money. If budget cutting results in furlough, Nebraska would become the 22nd state to implement such methods.